Margaret Dockrell
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Margaret Sarah Dockrell (; 18 March 1849 – 29 June 1926) was an Irish
suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...
,
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
, and councillor.


Early life and family

Margaret Shannon was born on 18 March 1849, at 18 Charlotte Street,
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. She was the eldest child of solicitor George William Shannon and Emily Shannon (née Goodman). She had two sisters and two brothers. She attended
Alexandra College Alexandra College () is an independent day and boarding school for girls in Milltown, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under a Church of Ireland ethos. History The school was founded in 1866 and takes its name from Princess Alexandra of ...
, and later lectures for women at
Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...
. She married Maurice Dockrell in July 1875. The couple had seven children, one daughter and six sons. She went on to become a director and member of the board of her husband's family company: Messrs Thomas Dockrell & Sons & Co. Ltd.


Political career

Dockrell was an active member of the committee of the Dublin Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association, later known as the Irish Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association (IWSLGA), founded in 1876 to promote women's suffrage by democratic methods. She attended international women's suffrage conferences in Stockholm in 1911 and Budapest in 1913. She was also a committee member of the London Women's Suffrage Society, speaking on the role of women in local government at the
International Congress of Women The International Congress of Women was created so that groups of existing women's suffrage movements could come together with other women's groups around the world. It served as a way for women organizations across the nation to establish formal ...
in London in 1899. '' The Irish Citizen'' listed her as a suitable woman candidate to run for the senate seat proposed by the
Home rule bill The Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to ...
in 1912. Dockell was a member of the
National Union of Women Workers The National Council of Women of Great Britain (NCWGB) exists to co-ordinate the voluntary efforts of women across Great Britain. Founded as the National Union of Women Workers, it said that it would "promote sympathy of thought and purpose amon ...
, sitting as a member of its public services committee. Like many of her contemporaries, she believed that women were best placed to address issues around health, societal moral well-being, and housing. From 1898, the Local Government (Ireland) Act, allowed women to be candidates for local government elections. Dockrell first ran as a candidate in the Urban District Council (UDC) of the Monkstown ward of Blackrock, County Dublin in the 1898 local elections, where she was returned as the 3rd of 9 elected, becoming one of only 4 women councillors elected in Ireland. Dockrell described herself as a unionist and a Protestant, sitting as a council on the Blackrock UDC until her death. She was the only woman councillor on that UDC until 1925 and the election of Ellen O'Neill. Dockrell was also the first woman chair of a UDC when she was elected to the position in 1906.


Marriage and family

Margaret married Maurice Dockrell on 27 July 1875 in Dublin Ireland. They had 7 children. * Thomas Edward Dockrell (2 Jan 1878 – 16 Jan 1915) *
Henry Morgan Dockrell Henry Morgan Dockrell (17 April 1880 – 26 October 1955) was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael politician who was elected to both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. Early life Dockrell was born on 17 April 1880 at the family home, 1 ...
(17 Apr 1880 – 26 Oct 1955) * Maurice Dockrell (abt 1883) * James Dockrell (abt 1884 – 30 Aug 1888) *
George Dockrell George Henry Dockrell (born 22 July 1992) is an Irish cricketer, who plays international cricket for Ireland, having learned his cricket at Leinster Cricket Club, Dublin. Known as an all-rounder, Dockrell is a right-handed batsman and slow le ...
(22 Oct 1886 – 23 Dec 1924) * Kenneth Brooks Dockrell (9 Jan 1888 – 11 Mar 1937) * Anna Dorothy Dockrell (Abt. 1890 – 24 Jan 1976)


Later life

Despite the political and societal turmoil of the early 20th century in Ireland and the establishment of the
Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
, Dockrell continued in her commitment to local politics. This included being the first woman to be elected to a Dublin county council in 1920. Despite remaining a committed unionist, Dockrell worked with the Free State government. Following her husband's knighthood, she was also known as Lady Dockrell. Dockrell died on 29 June 1926, at her home "Camolin", Eaton Square, Monkstown. She is buried in
Deans Grange Cemetery Dean's Grange Cemetery (; also spelled ''Deansgrange'') is situated in the suburban area of Deansgrange in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, County Dublin, Ireland. Since it first opened in 1865, over 150,000 people have been buried there. It is, toge ...
. Her son,
Henry Morgan Dockrell Henry Morgan Dockrell (17 April 1880 – 26 October 1955) was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael politician who was elected to both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. Early life Dockrell was born on 17 April 1880 at the family home, 1 ...
was also a politician, and another son
George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...
was an Olympic swimmer, who competed at the
1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...
. Her granddaughter
Marguerite Dockrell Marguerite Dockrell (10 March 1912 – 9 September 1983) was an Irish swimmer. She competed in the women's 100 metre freestyle event at the 1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), wa ...
, Henry's daughter, also represented Ireland as a swimmer at the
Amsterdam Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...
in 1928.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dockrell, Margaret 1849 births 1926 deaths Irish activists Irish women activists Irish suffragists Members of Dublin City Council Irish women in politics International Congress of Women people